Greetings from Edinburgh, Scotland!
I’ve spent the last month and a half studying at the University of Edinburgh. It’s been a wonderful and fulfilling experience; I’m already dreading leaving!
Last weekend, three friends and I traveled up to Inverness, the largest town in the Highlands of Scotland. We took a direct train, which took about four hours and was very scenic. We walked to our hostel and got settled in, then went off in search of dinner. We ended up on the rooftop deck of a pizza restaurant, where we ate and played cards. It was quite late, so we headed back to our hostel for the night.
On Saturday, we took the bus to Drumnadrochit, a small village situated on Loch Ness. We ate lunch, then walked to the ruins of Urquhart Castle, a picturesque early medieval castle. If you’re not traveling with friends who get motion sickness—I would highly recommend catching one of the boat tours of Loch Ness that leave from the castle docks! After our castle exploration and Nessie searches, we caught the bus back to Inverness. After a brief siesta back at our hostel, we grabbed dinner and went in search of the perfect pub. After finding one with live folk music, we grabbed a table. But quickly, we found ourselves dancing; the music was incredible! It was a long day, but so much fun.
Our plans for Sunday were much more relaxed. I was on a mission to find the perfect postcard, and we also planned to have as many fikas as possible (we learned on a trip to Sweden about the art of fika—a coffee and sweet treat break with friends). After scouring every tourist shop, I was satisfied with my postcard, and we took a long stroll along the River Ness. I casually checked our train tickets to see what time we were leaving, only to find our train had been canceled for that evening! So, we hurried back to our hostel to grab our bags, then went to the ticket office at the train station. We learned that Storm Ashley was hitting Scotland that evening, and we needed to hurry to get on an earlier train if we wanted to make it back to Edinburgh. Although our new journey was much longer and required a train change, we made it back, albeit exhausted.
Taking day and weekend trips like this has been some of the most fun experiences I’ve had! I’m looking forward to continuing to make the most of being in Edinburgh.
Ella Krone
Fall 2024
GW Exchange - University of Edinburgh
Columbian College of Arts and Science
Environmental Studies & Anthropology Double Major